Changes
by Blade of Justice
Summary: On the night following Bills' attack on her birthday party, Bulma finds herself wondering when she started becoming such a mom. Her musings are interrupted by a certain Saiyan Prince, and he's acting rather strange tonight...


Bulma sighed as she finally laid down in her luxury sheets in her soft and comfortable bed. She was beat.

It was the eve of her thirty-eighth birthday party, and suffice to say, the whole thing had been a rather explosive experience. Between gods of destruction, all the property damage, her son finding love, and the larger than life catering bill (though that was one thing Bulma was more accustomed to at least, given the company she tended to keep), she felt so... Well...

Ignored!

It was supposed to be her day, wasn't it? She had invited everyone just for the occasion, and yet, as if fate had conspired specifically against her, her entire birthday bash had been fantastically thwarted. The world had almost gotten blown up for crying out loud!

It's not like she was complaining exactly... The whole thing had actually been kind of fun, mostly before Bulma had known what was going on at least, and it reminded Bulma of all the adventures she had gone on in her youth with Goku and the others. At least before needing to know how to fly became more and more of a requirement anyway, then she found herself becoming less and less involved in things.

Well, that... And maybe the whole "bringing your baby onto the battlefield" thing had gotten to her during the android fiasco.

The woman let out a strangled noise as she recalled how things had been back then. Vegeta, her husband, had just watched her ship crash with her and Trunks on it! He hadn't even cared! If it hadn't been for the others, she and little Trunks might have died that day. What had he been thinking?!

"... To be fair, we really shouldn't have been there in the first place," Bulma pointed out to herself. Mostly because no one else more logical was present to do so for her. Forget what Vegeta had been thinking... What had she been thinking?

It was kind of funny, she realized. She had totally disregarded not only her own safety, but Trunks' as well that day, yet in the span of seven years, by the time Majin Buu and his friends came to town... She had become so darn motherly. And protective to boot! She never would have thought it possible of herself in her younger years, but here she was. She could almost be as bad as Chichi sometimes when it came to Trunks, though she at least prided herself in not being quite as bad as her younger friend.

That was actually sort of strange, if she thought about it. Chichi had been just as wild and crazy as Goku had been in her youth, yet she had mellowed out (in some ways) quite a bit. What had happened to her? What caused that drastic change? For that matter, what had made her change so much? Was she just... just getting old...?!

As Bulma pondered this, the door to her room opened. She shot a glance to who it was and promptly set aside thoughts of her friend. Tonight, it seemed, it would be their room. Despite her previously serious and contemplative thoughts, a more primal excitement began to build up in her. It was a special occasion after all.

Her husband was standing in the doorway, watching her. To Bulma, she was sure he was looking at her like she was meat. She was hoping for that, anyway. She really could use the attention from him. He looked her up and down, while she watched him in anticipation. After a moment of this game, he began approaching the bed.

Bulma often found herself going to sleep and waking up alone, but at some point - and she wasn't sure when - Vegeta had started paying attention to birthdays. Oh, he didn't go out and get her gifts or treat her nicely and make her breakfast in bed. Nothing like that. That would be creepy coming from Vegeta. On birthdays, he did, however, make it a point to save that famous Saiyan stamina that he would have normally been using for training...

... and quietly slide into bed and hug her?

Bulma blinked a few times.

In the entirety of the time she had been with Vegeta, the only time he had ever hugged her was after he came back from the dead after the Majin Buu had been defeated. It hasn't lasted nearly this long. Yet here he was, arms wrapped firmly around her and pulling her close, as silent as ever. For once, Bulma was speechless. What had spurred this on?

She didn't have much time to wonder, because Vegeta was finally pulling away. She expected him to be embarrassed, to be grumbling about doing this because it was her birthday, and so on. She expected a number of Vegeta-like things because, well, this was Vegeta. Prince of the Saiyans, destroyer of worlds, conqueror of the masses, and so on and so forth.

What Bulma got instead was a hand being placed gently against her cheek, a strange, alien expression on Vegeta's face. Bulma was starting to get worried now, and had Vegeta not spoken, she probably would have gotten out of bed and gone looking for the real deal as there was clearly an imposter in her bed.

"Does it hurt?"

Bulma's eyes widened in recognition and understanding at this simple question.

Her mind began going over the day's chaotic events, adding the information she had learned later to piece together all the things that hadn't made sense at the time.

Unaware of Bulma's thoughts, Vegeta frowned slightly - perhaps out of annoyance now rather than concern. He was still Vegeta after all.

"Well? Tell me already."

"O-Oh, I'm fine."

Though Bulma had no bruises or leftover marks of any kind, Vegeta seemed to doubt this answer. Bulma, being Bulma, gave him a stern look that told him to back off if he knew what was good for him. He seemed to consider this, and just when Bulma expected a fight to start...

He gave in.

Bulma watched this reaction uncertainly. She understood now, more or less, but now it worried her. This was Vegeta, strong and prideful. Afraid of nothing.

At least that's what she would have thought before today. In fact, if he hasn't come to her now, she might have forgotten it entirely.

"Good."

He closed his eyes, holding out an arm expectantly. He wanted her to lie on his chest.

Well, she could humor him, she supposed.

She recalled how he had been acting once he had arrived at the party. He had made every attempt to keep her away from the god of destruction, made every attempt to appease the fearsome being, and most of all, made every attempt to amuse and calm down the deity. It got to the point where Vegeta had, multiple times, thrown his pride to the side just so he could stop the destruction he feared would follow should the god become dissatisfied.

That was it.

Vegeta had been afraid.

The most prideful man Bulma had ever known had thrown it all away in order to keep everyone safe. He had taken that burden onto himself in the hopes of not causing a panic. He had taken this duty entirely into his own hands, and even the urge to fight that made up every fiber of his Saiyan being had been silenced by this terrifying being and the prospect of what might become of Vegeta's family.

Suddenly, Vegeta's silly bingo dance, performed in a vain, humiliating attempt to distract the terrifying Lord Bills, made her want to cry more than it did laugh like she had this afternoon.

In that moment, as Vegeta held her, Bulma realized the answer to her question.

What changed Chichi? What changed Bulma?

Most of all, what could possibly change Vegeta into someone who would do what he had done today?

It was family.

Looking up at Vegeta, a warm feeling feeling her heart, Bulma smiled at her husband. He watched her, wary for a moment that she was about to question him, mock him and his already wounded pride. She wasn't going to do that though. Not tonight.

"Thanks for the present, Vegeta."

A puzzled expression crossed his features. What present? He hadn't done anything for her. Was she being sarcastic, or had Trunks sent her something in his name again?

... Remembering how that particular incident had unfolded, or rather, the aftermath once Bulma found out he hasn't done anything, Vegeta opted to be honest.

"I didn't get you anything. I never do."

Bulma fought the urge to roll her eyes. That was her Vegeta alright.

And that was just it.

"Yes you did, silly. You."

Bulma paused as she waited for Vegeta to understand. Naturally, he didn't, and gave her a look that would have been more appropriate on Goku. Bulma fought back a laugh, but she was more than happy to smile.

"You got me you. Not even Shenron could give me something better."

He was _her_ Vegeta.


End file.
